William Goldman, author of numerous books and genius screenplays for movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride, Marathon Man, and All The President’s Men, wrote this at the end of his book Which Lie Did I Tell?
“What is story? I’ll go with Kubrick’s words – he denied them, so who knows, but somebody wise said it, maybe it was me.
A good story is something with an interesting premise that builds logically to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.
We get fed them in the cradle and forever on. Want to read a good story? Pick up The Little Engine That Could. Soppy and primitive, sure, but today just by chance I read it again and let me tell you, you are rooting with all your heart for that crummy two-bit nothing of a train to get those toys over the mountain.
That’s all it is, this business of writing. Just get the f—–g toys over the mountain.”
If you haven’t read William Goldman’s books Adventures In The Screen Trade or Which Lie Did I Tell? then you need to. Not only is he hilarious, as the previous quote proves, but he’s a brilliant writer and makes the craft of screenwriting so accessible.
Even if you don’t want to be a screenwriter, Bill’s books are worth every minute spent reading.
Leave a Reply